Brake for railway-cars



No/Model. v

J. WEBBER. BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

WITNESSES' N 1 '1' I I 9 M y; 2' 41:1,

' following is a specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH A. WEBBER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. i

BRAKE FOR RAILWAY'FCARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,912, dated December11, 1894. Application filed February 3,1894. Serial No. Np model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH A. WEBBER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Brakes, ofwhich the The object of my invention is to provide a powerful, simpleand easily operated brake, which, while applicable to rolling stock generally, is especially intended for use on street cars, by whatever powerpropelled, whereby they can be more quickly stopped, than by the use ofany form of brake known to me.

The characteristic features of my invention, generally stated, consistin an arrange? ment of toggle arms or equivalent devices coacting withrods, whereby they are actuated from the platform of the car in anysuitable manner in combination with braking devices of any preferredconstruction, which may be friction straps upon which brake shoes arefastened and which are attached to a bar actuated by the toggle arms, insuch manner as to bring the brake shoes in contact with .the tread ofthe wheel, including its flange if desired, or with the surface of asupplemental braking surface, made in the form of a flange or annularledge attached to or formed on the side of the Wheel, whereby thebraking action is secured. An important, but not an essential feature ofmy invention is that the brakes may be and preferably are applieddirectly on the top of the wheel or on the top of the supplementalfriction surface as the case may be, whereby much greater area ofsurface of the brake shoe or shoes can be secured than as such deviceshave been heretofore constructed. This is especially important in caseof emergencies, when the car must be stoppedv in the shortest possibletime and space. Certain mechanically equivalent devices may be substituted for those shown by me, but the above is a general descriptionof the construction.

In the drawings hereof, Figure 1, illustrates a sectional view of theparts of a street car, which are involved in the'invention, taken on theline 2, 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, illustrates a plan of that which is shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 3, illustrates a side elevation of a modifiedconstruction. Fig. 4, illustrates a detail in perspective of the brakeshoes on one of the friction straps. Fig. 5, illustrates a detail of thetoggle arms and adjacent parts. Fig. 6, illustrates a detail of thedevices for operating the sand box. I .In.F ig. l,.-the braking shoesare shown as appliedto a. supplemental friction surface, 1'. a, anannular. flange or ledge formed on or attached to the wheel.

In Fig. 3, the parts are so arranged as to apply the brakes to the treadand flange of the wheel. I

I illustrate the two forms so as to show that my invention is adapted tovarious construetions, and to the application of the brakes to the treadof .thewheel including theflange if desired, or to a supplementalfriction surface as may be preferred.

A indicates the frame of the car; B, the frame of the truck; 0, O, 850.,the wheels; D, the sand box.

E,E are pedals, one on each platform. They connect with bell cranklevers, F, F, pivoted under the platforms to any suitable part of thestructure.

G, G are cross bars, preferably, for the sake of stifiness and strength,made in the form of small trusses. They are pivoted to the lower arm ofthe bellcranks respectively, and at their ends are connected to siderods H, H, which extend from cross-bar to cross-bar, and are providedwith turn buckles I, I, I, I, whereby lost motion and wear may betakenup and adjustments effected. The rods slide through bearings J, J,J, J, preferably located upon the truck frame, although in certainconstructions and in certain kinds of car, they may be upon the carbody, and these rods preferably have joints in them as at J,

J, J, so as to compensate for the rocking motion of the car, if any. Theupper member of each set of toggles J is pivoted to or otherwise engagedwith the upper, end of a bracket N, which is bolted to the truck frame,

there being a bracket for each set of toggles,

and the lower member of each pair of tog-, gles engages with ahorizontal bar 0, there being one such bar on each side of the car, tothe ends of which friction straps P are attached, as at Q. The rods H, Hare provided with strong pins H, opposite the knuckle of each pair: oftoggles, and these pins pass through the meeting ends of the toggles andthe power which the operatorapplies through form their axis. the pedal,and when there is occasion to stop The rods H, H are preferablythickened the car as quickly as possible to avoid acci- 7 and madeadditionally strong at the point dent, then the driver or motor manthrows 5 Where the pins H are bolted to them, so that his whole weightforcibly upon the pedal; this part of the structure shall besufficiently this great pressure moves the rods H, II far rigid andstrong to withstand the considerther than they are moved when stoppingthe able strain to which it is subjected. car ordinarily, and the ballsor equivalent 7; R, R, &c., are the friction shoes. They may devices a,a are so adjusted on the rods H,

IO be applied to and held upon the metallic fric- Hand the adjustment ofthe entireapparatus tion straps as shown in Fig. 4,71. e., each shoe issuch that when this excessive movement isprovided with upwardlyextendinglips S, S, takes place they, the balls, are brought in throughwhich a bolt T passes, and the straps contact with the levers Z, Z andthe flanges 8c are of such width that they will but just pass in thesand ducts are thus opened and sand I5 through the openings in theshoes, and when is aplied to the track immediately in front they areproperly placed on the straps, the of the wheels, so that its effect isinstantly bolts T are screwed firmly up and the shoes felt in stoppingthe car. The spring I), b reare thus securely and rigidly held on. theturn the parts to their normal condition as 85 straps. Any other methodof constructing soonas pressure on: the pedal is removed.

these details may be employed. I desire to call especial attention totwo U, U are supplemental brake surfaces, features of my invention. Oneis, that unledges or flanges formed on or attached tothe der both formsof my invention, the brake side of the wheels, upon which the frictionshoes or braking surfaces, whichever may be 9c shoes may act instead ofbearing on the tread employed, are caused to act directly on top of theWheels. of the tread of the wheel or upon the top of lVflVare thedeliverychutes from the sand a supplemental? friction surface, if suchbe boxes. used. Consequently the area or extent of Y, Y are valves inthe chutes operated rethe brake shoes can be made substantially 9 5spectively by levers Z, Z, which are moved equal to onehalf of theentire tread or the and the flanges consequently opened, whensupplemental braking surface. This, I believef is a very importantfeature, because,

the balls or pro ections CL on the rods H, H come in contact with theirupper bifurcated as brakes have heretofore been constructed,

they have been limited to a very much less 10c ends, which straddle therodsH. The balls or equivalent devices a should be made adarea than Ican employ.

Thesecond point, to which I desire to call 5 justable on the rods H.

b, b are retractile springs which return the attention is the following:In my construe parts to their normal position. tion, no additional actisrequired on the part c, c are springs which return the levers Z, ofthe motorfimau or driver to apply sand in c5 Z to their normal position.the event of an accident. When an emergency arises, it is. very seldomthat the oper 0 In Fig. 3, as above stated, I show a construction inwhich the brake shoes extend ator remembers to work the lever or pullthe cord to let on sand, as provided in other deover the treads of theWheels including their vices known tome, because it is an unusual I10flanges, thus showing that my invention is adapted both to theapplication of the brain thing for him to do so, and: therefore, it notbeing his practice, and being disturbed by the ingdevices upon thethreads of the wheels presence of the emergency, he almost alwaysincluding their flanges if desired, or upon the supplemental brakingsurfaces, as may forgets-to operate such devices and moreover,

he iscompclled in all such constructions 115 be preferred ,andI wishhere to say that a known to me, to first put on his brake full singlesolid brake shoe may be substituted 0 for the friction straps andshoesif preferred. force, then drop it and operate the sandbox Theoperation is as follows: When the lever, and during all this time thecar has driver or the motor man, as the case may be, progressed andinall probability the accident occurred beforehe gets any sand on thetrackr 20 wishes to stop the car, he applies his foot to the pedal which ison the platform wherehe whatever. Inmy construction, the motor man ordriver unconsciouslyapplies all his weight stands, and depresses it.This action rocks the bell-crank and pulls or pushes, as the case uponthe pedal, themoment he sees that an accident is imminent, because hisconstant may be, the truss-like cross-bars G, Grand the rods H, H insuch manner that all the togpractice and experience has taught him that{2 5 gles are straightened on both sides of the car. this is the way tostop his car, and that the more the pressure the quicker it will stop.

The horizontal bars 0, O are consequently Consequently, in an almostautomatic fashdepressed and the brake shoes, whatever their constructionmay be, are brought with ion, he throws his entire weighton the pedal,

great force downwardly upon the supplewhich, as above stated, occasionsthe opening mental brake surfaces, or upon the tread of the valve in thesand duct, so that the sand is applied to the track, audit willbe es- 65 or tread and flange of the wheels, as the case pecially noticed thatit is deposited directly may be. Thus they are stopped, and the rapidityof the stoppage will depend upon in front of the wheel, where it willimmediately act, and not as in most prior constructions, several feetfrom the wheel.

In the drawings, I show two sets of toggles upon the side of the car. Itwill be evident to those who are skilled in this art, that one pair onlyneed be used on each side of the car. If so, however, the bars. 0 shouldbe made sufficiently strong as not to spring under the considerablepressure brought to bear upon them.

Other suitable devices may be substituted for the pedals. Equivalentdevices may be substituted for the toggles. The rods which operate thetoggles may be differently arranged, and various other modifications inthe details may be made without departing from the essentials of myinvention. I prefer, however, constructions substantially such as shown,because it is simple and efficient and very powerful.

I claim- 1. The combination of alongitudinally movable rod, a horizontalbar connected with friction straps having brake shoes, means between themovable rod and the horizontal bar for depressing the latter when theformer is moved, and means accessible to the operator for longitudinallymoving the rod,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of alongitudinally movable rod, a horizontal barconnected with friction straps having brake shoes, toggle arms supportedat one end by the frame of the truck and engaging with a horizontal barat their other end, and by a longitudinally moving rod at their knuckle,and means accessible to the operator for longitudinally moving therod,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of alongitudinally movable rod, a horizontal barconnected with friction straps, having brake'shoes, toggle armssupported at one end by the truck frame and engaging with a horizontalbar at their other end and with a longitudinally movable rod at theirknuckle, means accessible to the operator for longitudinally moving therod, and

friction surfaces or the driver or motorman ledges on the sides of thewheels against which the brake shoes act, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination of alongitudin ally movable rod, a horizontal barconnected with frictionstraps havingbrake shoes, means between themovable rod and the horizontal bar for depressing the latter when theformer is moved, a lever located near the said rod, which is adapted toactuate the valve of the sand box, and a stop on the rod, which engageswith the said lever, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a longitudinally movable rod, and horizontal bar,toggle arms supported by the truck frame and engaging with thehorizontal bar at their other end and with the longitudinally movablebar at their knuckle, means accessib e to the operator forlongitudinally moving the rod and friction shoes connected with saidhorizontal bar, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of alongitudinally movable rod, a horizontal barbrake shoes connected with said horizontal bar, means between themovable rod and the horizontal bar for depressing the latter when theformer is moved, alever located near the said rod which actuates thevalve of a sand box, and a stop on the rod which engages with saidl'ever, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of alongitudinally movable rod, a horizontal bar,means operated by for longitudinally moving said rod, devices connectingthe rod and the bar, friction devices connected with the bar andoperated by it, which bear upon the top of the tread of the wheel or onthe top of a supplemental braking surface, as the case may be,substantially as set forth.

Signed at Oastleton, in the county of Richmond and State of New York,this 25th day of January, A. D. 1894.

JOSIAH A. WEBBER.

Witnesses:

JAMES LANGAU,

EDWIN S. LAWRENCE.

